A Day in the Life

With Tropical Storm Elsa predicted to sock Central Virginia by early afternoon, there was plenty in the works that day.

I first encountered Bill Gordon, who’s served as custodial supervisor since September, peering at a spreadsheet on his office computer.  

What’s your crew been doing this summer? I asked.

 “Detail cleaning of the classrooms,” he said. “And carpets and resurfacing floors in the athletic center and West Gym.” 

This past year, Housekeeping pulled yeoman’s duty as far as keeping the place clean and safe, I said. Are you still on that high-alert level or has the threat diminished?

“We still maintain on a high level,” he explained. “We still try to disinfect all the touchpoints: door handles, restroom knobs, sinks, toilets.  We still have two people – one in the Lower School and one in the Upper and Middle – doing the same things they did before. And we have a crew that comes in at night and does more detail work. We’re spraying with the Ultraviolet electrostatic machine to kill the coronavirus.”

You arrived during the pandemic. I commented. How have you managed?    
 

“We have some people very committed to Collegiate,” he said. “I’ve been very impressed. All I had to do was teach them some new tricks, put schedules together, and help them understand the processes. The staff went over and beyond in terms of keeping the buildings safe and clean. All our students were safe. Our faculty was safe. Our (athletic) teams were safe. My hat goes off to all of them.  They came together as a (housekeeping) team to get it done.”

As I ventured south, I found Andrew Stanley from the grounds crew and rising junior William Britt hastily rolling up long pads of turf in the junior kindergarten playground area.

What’s happening? I asked.

“JK really enjoyed all the mud puddles this year,” the Young Stan replied. “This will be an intentional mud puddle. This will become a pond of sorts that they can play in.”

So how do you get the turf so you can roll it up? I inquired.

“A couple of days ago,” Stanley began, “Mike Hamby (also from the grounds staff) was out here with a sod cutter. It’s a really sharp blade that runs just below the roots of the grass. It makes a nice, clean cut. Then you can roll it up.”

Kind of like rolling up a rug?
  
“Exactly,” he said, “but with a little bit more mud involved, but I enjoy it. It’s a change of pace from what I would do on any given day like mow and pick up trash. Any time I can get my hands dirty – and rolling up sod gets your hands dirty – I like it.”

Over near Fort Cougar, Robyn Hartley, an 11-year member of the grounds department, was edging and trimming to the accompaniment of her ‘80’s Road Trip play list on Spotify.

“Trying to perfect my skills with the weed eater,” she said with a chuckle. “Even with a degree in horticulture (from Virginia Tech), they don’t teach you to do this in college. I’m getting ahead of the job while the kids aren’t on the playground. It’s nice to be able to say, ‘Did it, ‘then step back and know it’ll look good for another week, week-and-a-half, before you have to do it again. We’re about two hours ahead of the rain. I’ll be putting umbrellas down next and trying to batten down the hatches.”

I asked about an area just outside Centennial Hall which was cordoned off by yellow caution tape.

“We’ve been battling a yellow jacket nest underneath that peach tree,” Robyn explained. “We pulled out part of the nest. We’re checking on it a couple of times a day to make sure it doesn’t spring up in full action again. 
       
“When I have a chance, I tell kids, ‘Don’t freak out. When you see the yellow jackets, step back slowly and get away from the area.’ We’ve dug it twice. Don’t know how that tree’s going to survive being dug out twice.”

“Not yet,” she replied as she gently rapped her knuckles against the teakwood bench next to Fort Cougar.

In Reynolds Hall, I ran into Jackie Johnson, a 37-year member of the housekeeping department, and asked her about her day.

“This morning,” she replied, “I’ve been washing windows and checking the bathrooms to make sure there’re supplies. And detailing classrooms: cleaning desks, dusting, getting stickers off the floor. I like making things look nice.”

 “I give it 100 percent,” she said.  “I have kids. I have grandkids. I want to make sure everybody’s safe. That’s just who I am.”
   ~Weldon Bradshaw